Lacock Abbey, Chippenham.
Saturday June 15th
My Dear Constance
Charles <1> says that two of the Rhododendrons are in flower at Nethermore, <2> the rest he did not visit owing to the grass being long and wet. I believe he made a very good speech at the dinner of the Friendly Society. <3> The day was fine & the rejoinings were kept up till midnight distant music reached my Ears until that hour –
Our weather is not so fine now, but cloudy & rather cold; the lights are not yet taken off the great Conservaty [sic]. I think you are right in not going to Silloth <4> – I never was there but I imagine it to be rather cold open and exposed – I was much pleased to hear of Monies <5> walk in the garden – You say the drive to Craigforth &c &c was jolly, could not a carriage with good easy springs be hired?
I am glad you are going to have Dr Begbie <6> again, & shall like to know what his ideas are about Climate – Is he personally well acquainted with Continental cities & their climates? This evening is too gloomy for walking in the Garden. We have a new Lily in flower. Lilium longiflorum white and sweet scented – Lilium Canadense will be in flower tomorrow – I don’t know from its bud what it will be like. Two more smaller plants of the Lilium Chalcedonium have flowered, one has 1 flower the other has 2. The large plant has 5. Wilkins to day discovered that 2 ferns (which we grow in the stove) have survived the winter on the rockwork – I hope you admired the Tecoma jasminoides (otherwise Begnonia jasminoides) wch we sent you last hamper. We have suffered no inconvenience from Goodwin’s <7> absence – I am glad he is useful at Edinbro’
Your afft
Henry
Notes:
1. Charles Henry Talbot, 'Charlie' or 'Tally' (2 Feb 1842 - 26 Dec 1916), antiquary & WHFT's only son.
2. Nethermore Farm and Wood, Lacock, Wiltshire.
3. This was most likely for The Wiltshire Friendly Society, which was founded in 1828. In the days before health insurance, societies such as this protected their members, but also often served a social function. Charles was not known to be a member, but outside speakers were not an unusual occurance.
4. Silloth, or Silloth-on-Solway, a port town in Cumbria.
5. Rosamond Constance Talbot (16 Mar 1837 - 7 May 1906), died & buried at San Remo, Italy, with a memorial at Lacock; 'Monie', artist & WHFT's 2nd daughter.
6. Dr James Begbie (b. 1798), 3, Charlotte Sq, Edinburgh; a Consulting Physician with the College of Physicians.
7. George Goodwin (d. 1875), footman at Lacock Abbey.